Even if you're not a gearhead, you know that your car needs clean oil to survive. The oil in your engine provides critical lubrication to reduce friction and prevent your car's internal parts from wearing out too rapidly. Lack of lubrication is more than just a minor problem, and ignoring your oil for too long can lead to catastrophic engine failure and thousands of dollars in damage. So, what should you do when your low oil-level light turns on? While the obvious and immediate answer is to add more oil, you'll also need to determine why you're losing oil in the first place.
Should Your Car Lose Oil?
Your car's combustion chambers are where all the action happens. Under ideal circumstances, these chambers contain only fuel, oxygen, and combustion products, such as exhaust gases. However, it's nearly impossible to seal these chambers perfectly. When oil enters the combustion chamber, the high heat will cause it to burn off, potentially allowing oil fumes to escape with your exhaust. Some cars may burn small amounts of oil even when nothing is wrong. Lighter oils and reduced-friction piston rings mean that some oil can slip into the chambers, allowing your car to burn a small amount of oil while operating normally. If you change your oil frequently, this consumption may be so minor that you may never notice it. However, if you find you're adding oil to your car frequently between oil changes, especially if you use an extended change interval, there may be an issue. Unfortunately, finding the problem is often more challenging than you might expect.
Are You Burning or Leaking?
Unsurprisingly, the most common symptom of burning oil is smoke. If you're burning significant oil, your car will likely produce bluish-gray smoke from the tailpipe, particularly when accelerating. You may also be able to smell burning smoke. However, note that a burning oil smell from under your hood usually points to an oil leak dripping onto your car's hot exhaust pipes. Likewise, you can sometimes detect oil leaks by looking for a noticeable puddle, but it's not always so simple. For example, oil leaking onto the exhaust may burn away before reaching the ground. Oil can also pool on cosmetic underbody covers and then drip off while you're driving. In either case, you may not notice a conspicuous puddle on your driveway.
Since it can be challenging to distinguish between a leaky engine and one that's burning oil, it's usually best to have any oil loss investigated by a trained mechanic. They will know where to look for problems and also have access to a lift that makes it much easier to spot issues. Since oil loss can potentially lead to costly repairs, it's always best to address it as soon as possible.
For more information, contact an auto repair shop near you.
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